The SOMM Journal

December 2014/January 2015

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4 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014/2015
{ letter from the publisher }
Good Will Is Priceless
IT'S BEEN A YEAR SINCE I PURCHASED THE SOMMELIER JOURNAL name and took the reins
at The SOMM Journal. What I couldn't have anticipated—and what turned out to be the best part of
the deal—was the enormous amount of good will that came with that name. Letters and email have
poured in from across the country and even around the world congratulating me and my team for
reviving this important and unique publication, which, as I have learned, holds a very special place in
the hearts and minds of somms and others in the wine and hospitality business. Meanwhile, founder
and former publisher David Vogels, now free from the business of running the magazine, will continue
to be a voice for us as he travels around the world to pursue his love of wine.
As this issue delivers us into the New Year, I am looking forward to being a part of many warm and
productive gatherings with our readers: the somms, the wine buyers, craft spirits specialists, distribu-
tors, chefs, importers and F&B directors who continue to request our publication. In fact, our print
distribution has doubled since the re-debut issue in June; our online presence has also outpaced
our expectations.
In the social media realm, our growth has been exponential. Head over to The SOMM Journal
Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/SommelierJournal) any day of the week, and you'll find thousands
of people from all over the world discussing everything from the merits of Turkish grape varieties, to
whether they'd prefer to be called a "somm" or "sommelier." We're seeing similar active engagement on
Twitter (@SommJ), and are even making inroads to social message board site Reddit, where our Editor-
in-Chief Anthony Dias Blue will be hosting a holiday wine AMA (Ask Me Anything) on December 12.
The growth stems from your acknowledgement that we're doing something right. It will be my
job to keep that Good Will in place: offering up educational vinous travelogues and formatting our
features that you can use to teach your staff, use as a study guide or just live vicariously through each
journey. The bottom line is to provide a service for the service industry. And watch for those invita-
tions from me as The Somm Journal hosts group lunches, dinners and tastings around the country.
Happy New Year, and we'll see you in February!
selected contributors
ADAM JAMES has been a
professional photographer for eight
years, from taking stills on film sets
to covering stories about the best
bars and restaurants in Los Angeles.
Originally from Griffin, Georgia,
he now resides in Orange County,
California with his wife Vanessa and
dog Lucy. In his spare time he can
be found at local museums finding
inspiration, or scuba diving in the cold
coastal waters. Seem more at www.
AJStills.com.
ROXANNE LANGER—sommelier,
wine writer, international wine judge
and author of two books: The
60-Minute Wine MBA and Wine at
Thanksgiving: Talking Turkey with Glass
in Hand—has moved from the tasting
rooms of Napa Valley to management
positions in global wine sales, public
relations and marketing. For the last ten
years, Langer has been the President
of WineFUNdamentals, a wine
edutainment company that provides
wine programs for corporations and
associations across the United States.
Langer resides with her husband and
two children in the wine country of the
Sierra Nevada Foothills.
FRED SWAN is a San Francisco Bay
Area–based wine writer, judge and
an instructor for the San Francisco
Wine School. He holds the WSET
Diploma and is a Certified Sommelier,
California Wine Appellation Specialist
and Certified Specialist of Wine.
In 2009, he was inducted into the
Éschansonnerie des Papes, the honor-
ary society of the Châteauneuf-du-
Pape AOC, and awarded a fellowship
by the Symposium for Professional
Wine Writers.
JULIE RUVO TORRES worked for
Southern Wine & Spirits for eight
years, in both New York and San
Francisco, as liquor and wine rep and
later as a fine wine Import Specialist.
She received her Sommelier
certification from the Sommelier
Society of America. Currently, she is
a freelance contributor for local food
blog, Our Lovely Kitchen, as well as
developing her own lifestyle website.
Julie holds a Journalism degree from
Northeastern University in Boston.
When she is not writing, she is
generally planning her next meal.
The SOMM Journal
and Fred Dame, MS,
VP Prestige Accounts/
American Wine &Spirits
of CA, join Castello Banfi
family proprietor Cristina
Mariani-May on January
13 in Los Angeles to
unveil the five-star 2010
vintage of her Brunello
di Montalcino. More info
to come this month!
Exclusive
Invitation-Only
Event!